i cannot see an advantage to collecting food and then filling the place it came from, in terms of concealing a resource cover it between shifts makes sense but the last one is a full on stuffing of an empty can

paying the bill or concealing the "theft" both make sense,sort of

as it worked first time with just a few sticks perhaps they are now going for the full stuffing in the hope of full cans? it seems a bit complex for mouse culture but it is a simple explanation of the observation.

they have me a bit confused but very likely to give more food to see what happens so it is working out ok for them

Joined: 04 Jan 2011Posts: 3545Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 18 1:09 pm Post subject:

I seem to recall a colleague describing to me an experiment in which, for some reason, he was putting out small dishes of mouse food in a field (of wheat, I think), and he would find that the mice (or possibly voles, he said) would cover up the food with plant debris. He thought maybe this was to hide the food from others. (Sorry my description of this is somewhat vague, but it is many years ago when this conversation took place).

Perhaps there are two things going on:

1) concealment
2) removal

and number 1 has gone a bit over the top.

Mice are great hoarders - you may well find, some time, where they are storing the food.

they have several granaries that i know of
the concealment until they have relocated it all makes sense
the amount of concealment must take nearly as much effort as caching the goodies and seems a bit ott considering the gifts are delivered in their wood and compost store safe from rivals and birdies.